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While Connor and the children saw Kai and his crew off, Hadi and Patrick went to fetch Seldlon, returning not long after with the cat in tow. He was still limping and covered in bandages over the worst of his injuries, but he was still much better off than he'd been before Hadi had worked his healing magic.

"How are you feeling?" said the wolfen, helping the cat down from the wagon and inside.

"Better than I've felt in days," said the cat. "I no longer feel like a teapot someone glued back together."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Hadi.

Despite his words, Seldlon still didn't seem quite like himself. There was a cloud hanging over the feline that Connor didn't like. Well, hopefully a trip to the Temple would help put a bit more pep in his step.

"Come on," said Connor, hefting the feline's bag over his shoulder and leading their guest inside. "We'll be off shortly."

"I still can't believe you have a teleportation circle in your home," said the cat. "However did you afford something like that?"

Connor laughed. "Helps when you can forge it yourself. Having so many skilled craftsmen in the house has some serious perks."

Seldlon wasn't wrong. Setting up a two-way teleportation circle between here and his rooms in the Temple certainly hadn't been cheap, especially with the cost to make the circle permanent. But it had earned its cost many times over by now. Especially since their goods had proven especially popular amongst some of the acolytes and parishioners.

Stepping into Connor's rooms, they found several of the others waiting for them. Fionn, Rowan, Patrick, Crius were standing together, while Xander was off to the side talking to a pair of avians - the falcon Kree, and a very large crow that one might almost mistake for a tengu if you didn't know better. Orexi currently had his arm around the smaller falcon's shoulders, a slight blush on Kree's face as Orexi rubbed at his feathers with a thumb.

All eyes turned to Connor when he spoke.

"Everyone ready to go?"

The others nodded, though Crius didn't look nearly as excited as Xander did. Connor supposed that wasn't surprising; the lizardman had never been a big fan of religion, and despite the reality of the Temple, the knowledge of what it was had always seemed to get under Crius' scales. Still, he didn't object as one by one, they each stepped into the circle and vanished in a flash. The wolfen was the last one through, looking around happily as his temple rooms came into view, feeling the wolfen with a warm nostalgic glow. A warmth that quickly spread into his pants as well, causing him to fight down his erection at the memories of everything he'd done here when he was an acolyte, and everything that had happened since.

Found Southeast of Avalon City at the northernmost mountain of the Dragonrend range that divided the Shatterlands in two, the temple centered around, and in fact was carved throughout the entire mountain from base to peak. The volcanic nature of the Dragonrend range, along with the wealth of mineral and magical resources found there brought the temple great wealth even without the offerings of worshippers and visitors. It was here that Connor and Rowan had learned to craft, finding even adamantium easy to work thanks to the power of the forges.

Great works of art were stored and created here, and the caverns that had been carved into the mountain had been magically altered to mimic any and all types of climates and environments to appeal to even the most discerning of guests. Despite its glamorous and peaceful nature, the temple was every bit the fortress its location would imply. The Temple of the Grinning Dragon was the envy of kings, and the largest temple to Aasterian in all the world.

Though in all fairness, it could also go by another title.

The world's largest brothel.

Though erotic pleasures were certainly part of the temple's purpose, pleasures of all kinds could be found within, for the spirit and mind as well as the body. The temple had two primary rules - commit no acts of lethal violence or harm, and do not do anything without the consent of all creatures involved. As long as these rules were followed, almost anything was permitted and almost anything was possible.

Crius seemed the only one that wasn't particularly thrilled about that prospect. It always struck the acolytes as rather odd that someone that seemed so disinterested in erotic pleasures they could offer would be so skilled in leathercraft for that same sort of work. Several of them quickly approached the lizardman as soon as they stepped out into the temple and led him to a side room, Crius pulling out a measuring tape as he went. He looked a bit less bored at the idea of being able to work and get some orders done.

The rest of the group was much more eager to have some fun. They were barely out of Connor's rooms for five minutes before they'd each paired off with someone or wandered off in search of some entertainment. Connor, meanwhile, went with Hadi to get Seldlon settled. The cat's tail was twitching wildly, his nervous excitement almost palpable.

"I've heard stories about this place, but I still can't believe I'm really here."

"And you're in for a treat," said Hadi. "Not only are the Temple's healer's quite skilled, but you'll find the methods they employ quite a bit more pleasant than mine."

"And I think I have just the thing to get you feeling better," said Connor, leading the cat towards a gazebo shrouded in gauzy curtains and surrounded by blooming peach trees. "Heather? Kira? I've got a friend for you to meet."

Connor brushed aside the curtains and gave Seldlon a gentle shove inside, smirking as the cat stumbled to a stop before the two women waiting inside. The feline's cock was quickly pitching a serious tent in his pants as the two acolytes got to their feet, slowly approaching the cat, naked hips swaying as they moved towards him.

"Oh, he's a cute one!" exclaimed Kira, the red-scaled kobold already working at Seldlon's belt while Heather pulled at his shirt.

"I just love cats," said the human woman, her ample breasts pressing against Seldon as they freed him of his clothes, the cat blushing and stammering as he was stripped naked in full view of anyone who cared to walk by. "I love the feel of fur on my skin." Her long dark hair brushed against her bronze shoulders as her hand slid down and grasped the cat's cock, slowly starting to move her hand along his length. "And they've got the best cocks."

"Those barbs feel soooo good," chirped Kira, quickly folding their guests clothes and setting them aside as Heather guided Seldlon to gently law back on the soft cushions filling the center of the gazebo before she quickly moved to straddle his hips, reaching down to get his cock in position.

Heather and Seldlon both moaned loudly as she sank down onto the cat's penis, starting to bounce on him gently and pulling his hands up to her breasts. Kira moved to squat over his head, a squeak of pleasure pushed from her snout when the cat started eating her out, that sandpapery tongue making her knees weak as it rubbed across her wet folds.

"Take good care of him now ladies," said Connor. "Seldlon's been through the ringer lately, and a week of healing and TLC should be just the thing."

The trio barely acknowledged Connor or Hadi as the pair walked away, leaving the cat moaning happily as the two females had their way with him. If a few days here couldn't get Seldlon feeling like himself again, then nothing could.

"What now?" asked Hadi serenely. The jackal seemed completely unaffected by the carnal act they'd just witnessed.

"Much as I'd like to have some fun of my own, I should probably check in with the head priestess while I'm here," said Connor. "I am a monk of the Temple, after all. It's been so long since the last time I was here I should probably make an appearance."

"And I think I'll see about getting some more medicinal herbs while we're here," said Hadi. "Amazing what they manage to grow out here."

The jackal strolled away, his robes fluttering gently behind him. Connor couldn't help but admire the canine's good looks, and spotted several men and women doing the same as he passed by. His black fur shone in the light, highlighting the blue and gold markings tattooed in the custom of his people. He looked absolutely stunning, and once again Connor found himself eager to get the jackal into bed. The cleric preferred the company of his slaves, but he did occassionally enjoy himself with the others in their merry band.

And the feeling of that jackal's knot... mmphf!

Connor walked calmly through the temple's main area, the large cavern that contained the entrance into the mountain tunnels themselves, the space bustling with people that were still modestly dressed - or at least as modest as it got around here - and restricting themselves to more publicly acceptable forms of pleasure. Not that anyone who came here would have batted an eye if someone got bent over and fucked right here in the open, that wasn't something usually seen in that part of the temple. Though Connor could hear the faint sounds of more carnal pleasures taking place not too far away. It made his pants tighten even more.

Much as he would have liked to find someone to see to his needs - especially that sexy leopardess in the very revealing dress - Connor did have business to see to first. But he'd barely made it fifty feet before there was a commotion behind him; startled voices and cries of concern. The wolfen hurried through the crowd, spotting a young feline stumbling across the smooth stone floor.

"Help me! Please! You've got to help me!"

Connor pushed through the crowd and strode towards the young man, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. He spoke firmly but kindly to the cat, trying to calm him.

"Hey, take it easy," said Connor. "I'm one of the monks here. Is something wrong?"

"Help! I need help!" cried the young cat, his ears pressed back against his head and his tail bushed out. Whatever was going on, the feline was clearly worked up. He damn near seemed in a panic. "My village! My family, please, we need help!"

Connor moved a little closer. "Easy, friend. You're safe here. Why don't you take a breath, then we can go somewhere you can sit down and tell me what happened?"

"Please, we need help! We n-need... help..."

The cat's eyes rolled up in his head, and the wolfen darted forward to catch him before he slammed face-first into the ground. Looking around, Connor spotted a young acolyte, the otter looking quite uneasy about what he'd just witnessed. The poor boy jumped when Connor barked out his orders.

"Go find the high priestess," said the wolfen, lifting the cat in his arms, the boy's head resting against his chest. "Ask here to meet me in the infirmary."

The gathered onlookers parted around the wolfen, the monk barely noticing the weight of the cat in his arms. The cat couldn't have been older than fourteen. His fur was matted and strewn with dirt and leaves, and Connor could feel the boy shaking against him. Whatever had happened, the cat had clearly been through hell. Connor had seen things like this before - men and women that pushed themselves through a fight on adrenaline, only to collapse the moment they let themselves relax even a little. After a bath, a hot meal and plenty of rest, the cat should be fine.

But what could have possibly happened to the boy to get him worked up into the state he was in?

A short while later, Connor found himself in the high priestess' office, along with Hadi and a rather annoyed Seldlon. The cat hadn't been very happy about having his "healing" interrupted. At least until he'd heard what the young man had been saying. Once the siamese cat had regained consciousness, one of the first things out of his mouth had been the name of his village. The same village Seldlon hailed from.

Unfortunately, what should have been a happy reunion with a hometown hero was cut short by the other news the young man had brought with him.

"What do you mean the village was attacked!?" exclaimed Seldlon. Hadi placed a hand on his shoulder to keep the cat from moving too much; as worked up as he was, it wouldn't be good for the injuries that were still healing.

"That's why I came! We need help!" said Zicu.

The young man was even more worked up than Seldlon was, but now that he was in the safety of the temple, the reality of his situation seemed to be catching up with him. It was all the boy could do to hold back his tears. Though whether they were from anger or sadness, Connor couldn't say.

The young man had been through hell. Or pretty damn close, at any rate. According to him, a group of strangers arrived in his village one night. His parents had come running inside as angry voices and cries cut through the night. They told him to hide as they did their best to hold the door shut. Zicu had only barely managed to get down to the cellar before the door gave way. Arms reached through the breach and grabbed his parents, and Zicu heard his mother scream as she was dragged away.

He hadn't had the nerve to try and come out right away. He wanted to go for help, but the noises outside had him rooted to the spot. But eventually, he knew he had to try to get away. Once it had grown quiet, Zicu slowly snuck out of the cellar, and started towards the back door, hoping to sneak out without anyone spotting him - it would hardly be the first time he'd left that way. But just as his hand reached out to touch the door, his fur bushed out when he heard a gruff voice from the street in front of the house.

"The fuck are you waiting for, boy!? Check those houses and make sure we didn't miss anybody!"

"Y-Yessir..."

Torchlight filled the front of the house, spilling down the hallway towards the kitchen and washing over Zicu. A robed figure stood at the end of the hallway. From his height and the sound of his voice, the figure couldn't have been any older than Zicu. The cat's blood ran cold when he realized he'd been spotted, his mind failing to find any way out of this. He was going to be dragged off to gods knew where, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"This one's empty!" yelled the robed boy over his shoulder, moving the torch behind him so that the light wouldn't be enough to reveal Zicu to anyone outside. "I'll finish checking them and meet you at the square!"

A grumbled response was all he got, but the light outside moved away. Once it was gone, the robed boy turned back to Zicu. In the torchlight, the cat could see the robes were patchwork and shabby, especially along the ends of the sleeves.

"Hurry!" said the other boy. "Go out the back, and stay behind the houses until you reach the forest. None of the others should be there, so if you're quiet you might get away."

"Wh...W-Why are you doing this?" asked Zicu.

"I didn't know they were going to go this far. I didn't think anyone would get hurt. Now please, go! Before they come looking for me. I'll buy you time if I can."

Zicu was going to say more, but the other boy swept out of the wound where the front door had once stood and hurried off down the street. As he left, he saw the other boy raise his arm and chew on the end of his sleeve anxiously. That certainly explained why his robes looked so beat up.

Zicu couldn't believe what had just happened, but the cat knew he couldn't waste the chance he'd been given. Scurrying out the back door, Zicu ducked from house to house, sticking to the shadows as much as he could. Even for night, the village was disturbingly quiet. He made it to the edge of the village without seeing another living soul. A thought that made his stomach churn when he saw a dark stain marking the window of the last house on the street. He just hoped the shape slumped over and barely visible through the glass was his imagination.

It had taken the cat all night and a good part of the following day to make it to the temple. By the time he reached the mountain the only thing keeping him going was adrenaline and a need to help his family. Given his exhaustion and everything he'd been through, it had taken a while to get the full story out of him. Little though it was, what information they were able to get out of him about the attackers could prove useful.

"Rest, young one," said the high priestess. The bronze dragon laid her hand on the boy's head, guiding him back. "You are safe here."

Zicu protested, but in the end exhaustion won out and the poor cat's eyes drifted shut. The high priestess led them out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

"Such a terrible thing." She shook her head sadly. She looked at Seldlon. "I will personally see to his recovery. I give you my word that no further harm shall come to him while he is in my charge."

Connor bowed his head. "Thank you, Mistress."

"I have to help them," hissed Seldlon, his fangs bared and pupils contracted to razor-sharp slits.

"Seldlon," said Hadi. "You're in no condition to -"

"I can't just sit here!" cried the cat. "My home is under attack! People could be dying, I have to... to..."

Seldlon fell back into the arms of the high priestess, snoring gently as her spell took effect; the dragoness had put him to sleep. Connor did his best to ignore the very revealing cut of her robes as she passed Seldlon off to a nearby acolyte, directing him to take the cat somewhere to rest.

"He's not going to like that," said Connor.

"It was the only way to keep him from hurting himself," said the priestess. She turned to Connor. "You consider that man a friend, yes?"

The wolfen nodded. "I do."

"Then will you and your band act in his stead?"

Hadi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The dragoness glanced at him. "This is not the first tale I have heard of villages being attacked. Two other villages in the mountains recently fell out of touch. I sent others out to investigate but they have not reported back yet."

"What makes you think they're connected?" asked Connor.

"Including this newest incident, all three villages are made up almost entirely of followers of the Grinning Dragon," she said. "Not exactly surprising given how close they are to us, but all the same, I worry someone could be targeting our people."

"And what exactly do you want us to do about it?" asked Hadi calmly.

"I want you to go to your friend's village and find out what happened. Help the people there, if you can."

"And if we find the people that did this?" asked Connor.

A shadow passed over the dragoness' face, though it was gone in an instant.

"Do what you do best," she said simply. "And bring them to justice."

Connor nodded, turning and heading out of the room as Hadi fell into step beside him.

"What are you thinking?" asked the jackal.

"I'm thinking our relaxing trip just turned into a mess." The wolfen turned to his friend. "Let's split up and gather the others. Meet at the central plaza in fifteen minutes."

Hadi nodded and strode away at a brisk pace, heading in the direction of a small temple that had a group of people standing out front, speaking with Crius. He might not have been thrilled about being there, but at least the lizardman had been able to get some business done. Connor found an acolyte and sent him to find Rowan, while he went to collect Xander and Patrick. Soon, the full group was gathered near the main entrance to the Temple mountain complex, though some of them were more unhappy about it than others. Xander had been especially disappointed to be pulled away from the threesome he'd been setting up when Connor arrived. The wolfen had had to promise the reptile a return visit with the acolytes to get him to stop whining, Xander leaving the two boys each with a deep kiss that left them blushing.

As they made their way out of the Temple and started for the village, Connor and Hadi filled the others in on what they knew. Granted, it wasn't much in terms of actual facts and intel, but anything was better than going in blind. They made excellent time, reaching the hills above the village just before dawn. From their vantage point further up the mountain, the group was able to gaze down on the village from beneath the cover of the forest.

Several of the buildings in the village had been burned down. It was hard to tell at that distance, but there were several puddles and drag marks made of what looked suspiciously like blood, both in the streets and leading from several houses. A group of robed figures were gathered in the village square, and based on the bodies hanging limply from the posts around them the villagers numbers had already been lowered drastically. Several more robed figures patrolled the streets, but it was the ones that shambled along behind them that caught the group's attention.

"Well that's certainly not what I expected," said Kree.

Beside him, Hadi's eyes narrowed as he looked down at the undead helping to loot the houses and patrol the streets. But the most alarming development was when they spotted the large horde of undead gathered outside the village temple, a small shrine to Aasterinian.

"The villagers are most likely barricaded in the shrine," said Crius. "Those that survived, anyway."

"A wise decision," said Hadi. "Holy ground weakens the undead. It should keep them out, at least for now, so long as there isn't something more powerful than these zombies."

"We have to save them" said Patrick. The stallion was clearly agitated, and trying his best not to look at the blood-splattered houses below. "We can't just let them get slaughtered by those things."

"Seriously," added Crius, fiddling with one of the daggers on his belt. "Killing villagers like that is pointless. They'd be far more useful alive."

"Agreed," said Orexi. His dark feathers made him all but invisible in the pre-dawn gloom of the forest. "To waste perfectly good sacrifices on undead? It's disgraceful." He tilted his head a bit as he gazed into the square. "Good technique though."

"I don't recognize the ritual though," said Kree. With his falcon eyes, he had a much better view of the goings on below him. It was both impressive and a bit unsettling how unnerved he appeared with the gruesome details he was witnessing. "But even from here I can see how sloppy the spellwork is."

Fionn eyed the birds with a raised brow. "There's something wrong with you two."

"We know," said Orexi and Kree together.

"I saw we just go down there and smash some heads," said the bear, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "I don't have to hold back on these guys, right?"

"No, you don't," said Connor. "But we need to do this smart." He turned to the group. "Divide and conquer. Kree, Orexi - you two go to the square and free anyone left alive down there. Crius, go with them and watch their backs."

The lizardman nodded, hands resting on his daggers as he moved to stand beside the two birds.

"The rest of us will go to the shrine and deal with the horde. We need to protect as many of the survivors as we can. Once we've dealt with the undead and those robed fuckers, we can see to the injured. Hadi?" He looked at the jackal. "You're our expert on the undead. When the fighting starts, we'll let you take the lead."

The jackal nodded. "Remember everyone, this kind of undead are simple. They need someone giving the orders to be most effective. Take out the necromancers, and they'll become even more disorganized. These bastards are using people to create mindless undead. Don't hold back; make them regret this folly."

"One more thing," said Connor. "One of them has worn-out robes with ratty sleeves. Likely on the younger side. If you find them, don't kill them; capture only. They spared Zicu when they didn't have to. Seems only right we offer them a chance at the very least."

The group split up, making their way quickly down the mountain and into the village. Kree and Orexi seemed to disappear into the shadows, and Crius was every bit as stealthy without any magic on his side to aid him. The scalie rogue was no stranger to sneaking around unseen. And while the trio made their way to the town square, the rest snuck through the ruined streets towards the shrine.

The village was even worse up close. The stench of blood and death filled the air, even before they approached the horde of undead. The zombies were in various states of decay. Some of them were only barely holding together, while others looked like they couldn't have been dead for more than a day or two; likely some of the unfortunate townspeople that hadn't been able to get away. Based on their injuries, it looked like they'd been slain using a knife or dagger, either plunged into their chest or slashed across their throat.

Hadi raised a hand to touch the silver ankh hanging around his neck, the symbol of his faith. The jackal was no stranger to dealing with undead, but such slaughter and perversion of the dead was an affront to Lord Anubis, and everything the jackal had come to believe. He would not let the innocent people inside the shrine face the same fate. And when he got his hands on those responsible, well... he would make sure they wouldn't have the chance to do something like this again.

That was when Hadi spotted them. Detecting the living among the dead was a trifling matter for him, even without the necromantic magic being cast by the hooded figures at the back of the horde.

"I'll go first and create an opening," said Hadi. "When I do, Xander and Patrick, you help me defend the shrine. Connor? You and Rowan go for them." He pointed to the casters. "Stop the necromancers and we stop the horde."

"And what about me?" asked Fionn.

The jackal grinned. "Cut down anything that gets near you."

The polar bear hefted his greatsword, a wicked smile spreading across his face as the weapon shifted into a massive greataxe.

"My kind of plan."

Drawing his khopesh, Hadi strode out of the alley in which the group had taken cover, moving towards the shrine.

"[Mimic Undead]."

The jackal pulled his magic around himself like a shroud, cloaking himself in a haze of deathly magic. The brilliant blues and golds of his tattoos, his robes, even his lustrous black fur appeared washed out and grey as a body several days in the ground. His breathing and heartbeat became all but undetectable. With undead the level they were dealing with, it would take serious effort on Hadi's part for them to realize he wasn't one of the undead himself. Luckily for him, the necromancers didn't appear to have noticed him, even as he moved through the crowd to stand between them and the entrance to the shrine.

Raising a hand, Hadi focused on a point in the center of the horde, calling up his magic once again.

"[Heal]!"

A bright light burst forth, a wave of healing magic spreading out thirty feet in every direction from the focus of his spell. The effect on the zombies was immediate. Nearly every undead caught in the radius of the spell dropped like marionettes with their strings cut, the jackal's magic pushing them to the true death. Many of them even burst into flames under the effects of the cleric's magic, and only the freshest kills caught in the spell managed to stay standing, though only barely.

Patrick drew his sword and raised his shield charging out to join the fight as Fionn thundered along behind him, a roar of challenge bursting from his throat. Xander wasn't far behind him, though the bard did keep his distance from the horde, preferring to offer support without getting into the thick of things if he could avoid it.

"Rip 'em apart boys! I've got your backs!"

The lizardman raised his hands, using his magic to summon a lute he clutched with practiced ease, beginning to pluck the strings and sing a tune of courage and valor. The power of his music sent a surge of strength into his allies, a warmth filling them that would stave off the aura of fear so often created by the undead.

Not that Fionn needed it much. The polar bear always seemed to relish in the thrill of battle, and his axe was cleaving through zombies like they were made of paper. Xander was both in awe of the way the man fought and more than a bit sickened at the way the bear wasn't slowed down at all by all the viscera he was spilling across the ground. Doing his best to ignore it, the lizardman continued to play, reminding himself to make sure Fionn got a very thorough bath once all this was over.

Patrick was more elegant in his fighting, but was no less vicious than Fionn. The stallion bashed in heads with his shield and sliced them off with his blade in equal measure, keeping himself between the approaching horde and the shrine, coming at them from the side opposite Fionn to pincer the zombies, trying to keep them from flanking him or his friends.

Not that Hadi seemed to need much help with that.

"[Reaper's Lantern]!"

In the jackal's free hand appeared a ghostly lantern, shining brightly and casting its light over the closest undead. The light weakened the zombies, slowing them even more than they already were and leaving Hadi ample opportunity to cleave through them using his khopesh. The blade was specially crafted for battling undead, proving even more devastating to the zombies than the mighty bear's greataxe.

"Keep pushing them back!" barked the jackal. "Don't let them near the shrine!"

The robed figures driving the undead were scrambling to get their minions back in order and coordinate some kind of counterattack. A task that would have been significantly easier if it weren't for the dragon and wolfen bearing down on them.

"Don't just stand there!" cried one of the necromancers. "Kill them!"

A smaller group of zombies shuffled towards the pair, and to their surprise they noticed that there were a pair of bears in the crowd as well. So far all the undead had been smaller species - cats, rabbits, smaller dogs - but apparently they'd managed to take down a bear or two to bolster their forces.

Connor's hand slipped down to his side, gripping one of his whips tightly and lashing out, snapping it sharply across the closest zombie's face. The runes etched into the whip made it pulse with force and positive energy, the power of the impact practically caving in the unfortunate rabbit's face and putting the poor creature down for good. Rowan was right there with him, his bastard sword cleaving through the undead just as fiercely as the flames blazing around his free hand. At least the dragon had the good sense to make sure any undead he hit with fire stayed down so they couldn't wander off and set fire to what was left of the town.

The bears posed more of a problem, though. They were obviously fresher kills, their bodies still largely intact. But what Connor hadn't expected was for them to be so resilient. Three strikes of his whip did little more than slow the brutes down. The magic animating these creatures was clearly of a higher level than the rest of the horde.

"Well shit," muttered the wolf.

"You can't stop us!" One of the robe figures cackled. "We control life and death! There is no power greater than that!"

[Divine Lance]!"

A beam of pure white light slammed into the bear lumbering towards Connor, sending him stumbling backwards, a large portion of the creature's left side burned away by Hadi's spell. Now that the horde around the shrine had been considerably thinned out, the jackal had come to join the wolfen and dragon in their fight. And based on the look he was giving the necromancers, Connor didn't envy what awaited them if Hadi got his claws on them. Especially as the jackal lashed out with his sword and cleaved off the bear's head, the holy blade meeting little resistance.

"Don't just stand there you great beast!" cried one of the necromancers. "Kill them now!"

"Now, Connor!"

Hadi raised the hand wielding the Reaper's Lantern, letting the light wash over the other undead bear as it charged at them. The brute slowed as the light weakened him, and at that moment Connor felt energy surging through him. Glancing aside, he saw Xander focusing his energies on the wolfen, singing some tune the wolf couldn't make out over the clang of Patrick's steel and Fionn's battle-roars.

Bracing himself, Connor let his ki flow, focusing on channeling as much energy as possible into his hands as he brought them together beside him, a glow quickly surrounding the wolfen. Connor held onto the power until he could feel the dam was about to burst, and he thrust out his hands, aiming straight for the center of the zombie bear's chest.

"[Ki Blast]!"

A fearsome burst of ki erupted from the wolfen's palms, slamming into the bear and slowing only slightly before punching clean through him, leaving a smoking, smoldering hole in its wake. That much damage seemed to be more than the spell animating the bear could handle, and the undead light blinked out of its eyes as the bear collapsed.

"Fucking useless weaklings!"

One of the necromancers had lost his hood, revealing a sphinx cat that was deathly pale, two great ugly scars running across the side of his face. He looked positively livid, pushing the two necromancers that had been controlling the bears forward.

"If you can't make undead worthy of the task then do it yourselves! Whether it's them or you, I'll have two more corpses for our army before this night is done!"

The two necromancers began to chant, magic swirling in the air around them. As they spoke, the darkness itself seemed to congeal on the ground before them. Shadows began to push from the ground, claws and tendrils digging gouges into the dirt as the monsters made their appearance.

"Any ideas?" said Connor, putting some distance between himself and the undead as Hadi did the same.

"We need to stop the casters," said the jackal. "Stop them and the Shadows will vanish."

"Leave that to me!"

Rowan, who had been busily dealing with the undead trying to swarm Fionn and Patrick, had taken to the sky, getting out of reach of the undead and targeting the necromancers with magic of his own.

[Fireball]!"

The dragon's spell ignited at chest height between the two necromancers, catching them both in the blast as everything within twenty feet went up in flames, the force of the blast making the ground shake. The necromancers never stood a chance; their charred remains crumbling to the ground, smoldering like the houses they had set alight during their raid. Seeing his followers struck down, the sphinx cat hissed in rage, grabbing the robed figure next to him and pushing him to his knees.

"Please! Don't do this!"

The kneeling figue's hood fell back, revealing the face of a ram that couldn't have been more than fourteen. The boy reached up and tried to pry the cat's claws from his neck; that was when Connnor spotted the ragged sleeves. It was the same boy that had saved Zicu from almost certain death. Tears streamed down the boy's face as the cat plunged a hand into his robes, pulling out a wickedly sharp dagger.

"Meddling fools!" shrieked the cat. "If you think these undead are the most we can manage, you don't know a fucking thing! Let me show you the power a virgin sacrifice can call forth!"

The cat glared down at the desperately struggling ram.

"You weren't good for much, boy, but at least you can serve the cult in death." He raised the dagger high. "Dark One, accept this sacrifice, that the interlopers may tremble before you pow-urk!"

The cat's words were reduced to a wheeze and a gurgle as blood spurted from his mouth. The cause was plain to see - the twin daggers that had run him through. One was buried deep between his ribs, puncturing a lung, while the other had sliced his throat open, the shining tip jutting out the base of his neck before they were wrenched free. The feline dropped with a wet, sickening thud as Crius rose behind him, flicking the blood from his daggers and sheathing them smoothly, his expression calm and confident as he glanced down at the necromancer before turning his attention to the ram. The boy tried to scurry away, but Crius grabbed him with a practiced hand, pulling the ram's arms behind his back and holding him tight as he dragged the young man to his feet and led him over to Hadi and Connor.

"W-Why did you save me?" asked the ram.

"Wasn't about to let him summon more nasties for us to have to deal with," Crius replied simply. "Besides, cutting your throat is a stupid waste of a virgin."

The ram blushed brightly as the lizardman pushed him forward, Crius either ignoring or simply not caring as he turned to the wolfen.

"This the one?"

"I think so," said Connor.

Behind him, Fionn struck down the last of the undead, and silence began to fall over the village once more.

"Hadi? Mind giving us some of that magic?"

"Not at all," said the jackal. "Now we will get some answers." He raised a hand towards the ram. "[Zone of Truth]."

The spell washed over the ram, compelling the boy to speak only the truth as long as he was under its influence.

"What is your name?" asked Hadi.

"Atticus," said the ram. "My name is Atticus."

"Are you the one who let Zicu escape?" asked Connor. "Siamese cat, fourteen, was hiding in one of the houses?"

"So he really was my age," said Atticus. "Yes, I let him go."

"Why?"

"I-I didn't know what the others were planning here. And by the time I realized what they were doing it was too late to stop them. But when I saw, um..."

"Zicu," said Connor.

"Right, Zicu. When I saw Zicu, I had a chance to save someone. Someone my own age, who looked as scared as I was. I didn't want him to die."

"Then why join up with necromancers?" asked Hadi. The ram was warily eyeing the khopesh still in the jackal's hand. "You had to realize that sooner or later that could involve killing the living."

"I swear I didn't!" cried Atticus. "They... the cult took me in, gave my food and a place to sleep. So when they offered to train me..."

"You wanted to repay the debt you felt you owed," finished Connor.

Atticus nodded.

"I can think of worse reasons to get swept up in this madness," said the wolfen. "We've got some questions for you. But let's start with the most important one -"

Crius interrupted. "You really still a virgin at your age?"

"Yes," said Atticus, before realizing what he'd just said, his face burning brightly. "Wait! D-Don't ask me things like that!"

"I'm liking this spell, Hadi," said Crius with a smirk. He started to ask another question, but Connor cut him off.

"Focus, Crius. We have more important things right now."

The look on the lizardman's face made it clear he disagreed, but he remained silent as the wolfen and jackal resumed questioning their captive.

"First things first," said Hadi, stepping forward. "Is this cult of yours responsible for the other villages that have been attacked in the area."

The ram looked absolutely terrified as he slowly nodded his head.

"Y-yes." His answer was barely more than a whisper. He shrank back from Hadi, terrified at what the jackal might do.

"Next question then," said the black-furred canine, kneeling down to look the ram dead in the eyes. "Tell us exactly where we can find them."

*************

"What the fuck is taking them so long?" growled one of the cultists, pacing back and forth before the fire.

They'd built in far enough back into the cave they made camp in to prevent the light from being easily seen outside.

"Calm down," said the other man, staring into the flames. "They'll return when the ritual is finished."

A third man, a cat like the others, got to his feet.

"I'm not waiting much longer," he hissed, a wicked laugh spilling from beneath his hood as he turned towards a large cage further into the cave. "We've got plenty here to keep us entertained."

He then reached down and gripped himself shamelessly, hungrily eyeing the females laying bound and gagged in the cage. The girls backed as far away from him as they could, doing their best to hide their nudity from the leering males.

"We were told not to touch them until the boss gets back," said the cultist standing by the fire. Despite his objection, he didn't actually do anything to stop the other man from moving towards the cage.

"Who cares? It's been days since I had a hot mouth around my cock." The cat started to loosen his robe. "Besides, the boss might be happy we've got at least one of them trained up before he gets ba-"

"GAAHH!"

The cat whipped around, eyes wide as the other two cultists were thrown to the ground, arms and legs tightly bound by bolas.

"The fuck!? Who the fuck did tha-ooOF!"

The cat fell to his knees, the wind knocked from his lungs by the scaled fist that had buried itself into his stomach. The cat quickly found himself shackled and dragged over to join his companions under the watchful and angry gaze of a wolfen, jackal, and the dragon that had floored him.

"These the last of them?"

A blue-scaled lizardman stepped forward, pushing Atticus before him.

The ram nodded, doing his best not to meet the furious eyes of the cultists.

"Yes. They were the only ones left to guard the camp."

"Traitorous little shit!" hissed the cat. "I knew we never should have trusted you with anything important! Just some stupid little fuck to busy tinkering with junk to do anything important. When I get my hands on you, boy, I'll make you wish you were never-"

The cat's words were silenced when the jackal stepped forward and hit him hard across the face with the blunt side of his blade, sending the cat splaying onto the floor and knocking him senseless.

"Choose your words carefully. They may be the only thing that keeps me from killing you bastards myself."

Hadi turned back to his friends. "What shall we do with them?"

"We'll take them back to the Temple," said Rowan. "Let the high priestess deal with them how she likes. If she can't get anything useful out of them, she can always sell them."

"Except this one," said Crius, putting an arm playfully around Atticus' shoulders. "So, virgin, you think yourself a craftsman, huh?"

The ram blushed brightly. "Please don't call me that," he whined.

"I'll stop calling you that when it stops being true," said Crius. "But 'til then, I think I'll bring you back with us. See if you've got any real crafting talent. Could always use more hands in our shop."

Hadi walked over to the cage where the women had been trapped, sheathing his weapon and holding his hands up peacefully, approaching them slowly as they started to panic again. Hardly surprising, given what had nearly happened to them, and what they had already been through.

"I mean you know harm," said Hadi, his rich voice and soothing tone helping to calm the felines. "We were sent here to stop these men, and to save who we could. I'm going to open the cage and untie you. Then we'll see about finding you some clothes before we return to the Temple. You should be safe there."

The females seemed more at ease once Hadi had released them, despite the obvious embarrassment of being nude before so many males. And admittedly, it was quite hard for them not to stare at the gorgeous bodies of the cats as they found something to wear, but given what they had no doubt been put through already, they held back any interest they might have had in their bodies.

But there would be time to see to any urges they were holding back later. For now, they had survivors to see to, and prisoners to transport. Binding the cultists together tightly, the group started back towards the village, the group of females staying close to Hadi, who they seemed to have decided was their best guarantee of safety.

"We better be getting one hell of a purse for this," said Crius, pulling Atticus along beside him, though with considerably more care than was being shown to the other cultists. "I didn't sign up for some holy mission."

"Don't worry, Crius," said Connor. "The Temple always pays well." He glanced towards the ram. "Besides, if you got a new apprentice out of this then I'd say it wasn't a total waste of your time."

"No, I supposed not," said the lizardman. "Still, I'll be happy when we get back to the city."

"You and me both," said Connor. "This certainly wasn't the relaxing trip I'd hoped for."

Crius smirked. "Do you think Kai and the others are having as interesting a time as we are?"

Connor shrugged. "No idea. But if Shea is anything like her sister, I'm sure they'll be eager to help put her in her place once they catch up with her."

The lizardman eyed the wolfen with a smirk. "What are you planning?"

Connor grinned. "All in good time, my friend. All in good time."